Ulster

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Jacob Stockdale has been named at outside centre for Ulster's United Rugby Championship game against Connacht at Affidea Stadium as one of several Ireland squad members named in head coach Richie Murphy's matchday squad.

With Stuart McCloskey unavailable after playing a major part in Ireland's Six Nations campaign, and James Hume and Jude Postlethwaite both injured, Stockdale finds himself called into action in midfield as he is handed the number 13 short.

The 29-year-old, more customarily deployed on the wing or occasionally at full-back, will be joined at centre by Ben Carson.

Stockdale's only previous appearance at centre came in Ulster's comprehensive 68-21 win over Zebre in March 2017.

Hooker Tom Stewart and captain Iain Henderson return to the starting team, while tight-head prop Tom O'Toole is named as a replacement.

Nathan Doak returns at scrum-half to partner Jack Murphy, with Michael Lowry at full-back and Werner Kok and Zac Ward on the wings.

Props Angus Bell and Scott Wilson complete the front row, with Joe Hopes partnering Henderson in the second row.

David McCann returns at blind-side flanker, with Marcus Rea coming in instead of Bryn Ward at open-side and Juarno Augustus remaining at number eight.

Ireland wing Robert Baloucoune is a long-term absentee with an elbow problem, while Cormac Izuchukwu, Hume and Dave Shanahan are all missing after sustaining concussions in last week's win over Edinburgh.

Jake Flannery is also injured, while Harry Sheridan is serving a suspension.

For Connacht, Bundee Aki is one of five Ireland squad members who are drafted into the starting XV as head coach Stuart Lancaster makes a total of nine personnel changes to the starting team which began last week's win over Scarlets.

Skipper Cian Prendergast, Finlay Bealham, Darragh Murray and Billy Bohan come into the side after being involved with Ireland.

Dave Heffernan makes his comeback from injury at hooker.

Ulster sit third in the URC table, with Connacht lying ninth in the standings.

Ulster: Lowry; Kok, Stockdale, Carson, Z Ward; Murphy, Doak; Bell, Stewart, Wilson; Henderson (capt), Hopes; McCann, Rea, Augustus.

Replacements: Herring, Crean, O'Toole, Dalton, B Ward, McKee, Scott, McIlroy.

Connacht: Naughton; Jennings, Forde, Aki, Treacy; Carty, Reilly; Bohan, Heffernan, Bealham; Joyce, D Murray; J Murphy, Prendergast (capt), Jansen.

Replacements: Victory, Dooley, Illo, Murray, Boyle, B Murphy, Ioane, Devine.

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Ulster trio Cormac Izuchukwu, James Hume and Dave Shanahan will miss Friday's game with Connacht after sustaining concussions in the win at Edinburgh, while Harry Sheridan has been banned.

Ireland forward Izuchukwu was forced off for a head injury assessment after being tackled in the air by Edinburgh replacement hooker Harri Morris, who received a red card.

The 26-year-old had just returned from a concussion sustained in training after he made his Six Nations debut in Ireland's win over Italy.

Hume was replaced early in the second half of the win at the Hive, while Shanahan was substituted in the second minute and the trio will follow return to play protocols.

Sheridan was sent off in the 45th minute for a dangerous tackle and has been handed a three-week suspension.

He will miss the URC games with Connacht and Zebre, but could be available for the Challenge Cup quarter-final with Ospreys if he completes a World Rugby coaching intervention programme.

In a bruising victory, which moved Richie Murphy's side up to third in the United Rugby Championship, Ulster will be without centre Jude Postlethwaite and versatile back Jake Flannery for Connacht's visit to Belfast on Friday.

Postlethwaite sustained a hand fracture and will have surgery to stabilise the injury and will be unavailable for "a number of weeks".

Flannery injured his shoulder and is also unavailable for selection, while second row Charlie Irvine will be monitored after a soft tissue injury to his lower leg.

The injuries could potentially leave Ulster short in the second row and at centre for the game with Connacht.

In more positive news, Ireland internationals Tom O'Toole, Tom Stewart, Nathan Doak and Jacob Stockdale are all available for selection after the Six Nations.

However, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Baloucoune and Nick Timoney will be absent after helping Andy Farrell's side win the Triple Crown.

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Forwards coach Jimmy Duffy will leave Ulster at the end of the season, despite a contract extension being announced in January.

Duffy and the rest of Ulster's coaching team were included in a contract extension until 2028, alongside head coach Richie Murphy.

However he will now leave Ulster, who sit third in the United Rugby Championship, at the end of the campaign.

Ulster said Duffy will depart the Affidea Stadium "with our gratitude and appreciation", and the decision was so he could move closer to his Galway-based family.

He joined Ulster in 2024 from Western Force and he had previously worked with Connacht and Ireland Under-20s.

Duffy, who is from Galway, said he was sad to be leaving Ulster but "this decision was the best thing for me and my family".

"My focus is now on continuing our work, keep pushing on and giving everything to have a strong end to the season," he added.

Ulster head coach Murphy had worked with Duffy since their time with Ireland's Under-20s and said he had been "vital" to the province's revival.

"He has been important for the progression and development of our players," Murphy added.

"He is an excellent coach with wealth of experience, and I wish him and his family all the best for the future."

Rory Best, Ulster's general manager, said he was "disappointed" to lose Duffy at the end of the season but "it is ultimately the best choice for him and his family".

"We are in a strong position to have a successful end to the season, and I know that all the coaching staff remain focused on achieving our aims," the former Ulster and Ireland captain added.

"We thank Jimmy for his dedication in the role and wish him well for the future."

Backs coach Mark Sexton and defence coach Willie Faloon will remain part of Murphy's coaching team beyond the end of the season.

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Ulster forward David McCann says signing a new deal with the province gives him "a bit of peace of mind" and allows him to focus on his performances on the pitch.

The 25-year-old penned a new two-year contract on Monday, which ties him down to the province until 2028.

"It gives a bit of peace of mind, less worry about getting injured or anything but it gives you a chance to focus more on playing," he said.

"Excited to be staying for another two years and looking forward to playing for my boyhood club."

Ulster's 2023-24 player of the year McCann has featured in every United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup game for Richie Murphy's side this season, starting 13 of their 15 fixtures.

He believes consistent game time has aided his consistent performances in the back row.

"I think when you play each week it's easier to find form and keep form, fitness levels and conditioning becomes easier because you're playing enough to get everything in," added McCann, who is named on the bench for Friday's trip to Edinburgh.

"Our squad has so much depth especially in the back row, so you're always playing with quality players and that makes everyone's jobs much easier."

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Prop Tom McAllister will make his senior Ulster debut in Friday's rescheduled United Rugby Championship trip to Edinburgh (19:45 GMT).

Ireland under-20 international tight-head McAllister - who joined the Ulster academy last year - starts in the front row alongside Australia loose-head Angus Bell and hooker Rob Herring.

Herring captains the side in the absence of Iain Henderson, who has been called into the Ireland squad before Saturday's Six Nations Triple Crown decider against Scotland.

Cormac Izuchukwu, Jude Postlethwaite and Bryn Ward all start after returning from Ireland's Six Nations camp, while number eight Juarno Augustus will make his first appearance of 2026 after recovering from an ankle injury.

Izuchukwu missed Ulster's loss to Ospreys on 28 February with a concussion.

With Nathan Doak still on Ireland duty, Dave Shanahan is handed a rare start at scrum-half ahead of Conor McKee, who is on the bench.

Shanahan, 32, has made three appearances off the bench this season, but Friday will mark his first senior start since November 2023.

Shanahan's inclusion is head coach Richie Murphy's only backline change from the Ospreys game on 28 February.

Jack Murphy is retained at fly-half, Zac Ward, Werner Kok and Michael Lowry continue in the back three while Postlethwaite and James Hume remain in midfield.

In a five-three split on the bench, James McCormick, Sam Crean, Scott Wilson, Joe Hopes and David McCann provide forward cover alongside backs McKee, Jake Flannery and Ben Carson.

Ulster are sixth in the URC table but will go second with a bonus-point win over 12th-placed Edinburgh, who won last season's meeting 47-17 at Hive Stadium.

The game was originally scheduled to take place on 3 October but was postponed because of Storm Amy.

Ulster: Lowry; Kok, Hume, Postlethwaite; Z Ward; Murphy, Shanahan; Bell, Herring, McAllister, Sheridan, Irvine, Izuchukwu, B Ward, Augustus.

Replacements: McCormick, Crean, Wilson, Hopes, McCann, McKee, Flannery, Carson.

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Fit-again back row Juarno Augustus is available for Ulster's refixed United Rugby Championship game against Edinburgh on Friday (19:45 GMT).

The South African, who joined Ulster from Northampton last summer, has been sidelined since December with an ankle injury.

Ulster also expect Matthew Dalton to be available for selection with the versatile forward completing graduated return to play protocols after sustaining a concussion against Ospreys on 28 February.

However, hooker John Andrew has been ruled out after suffering a concussion in training last week.

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy can also call upon Cormac Izuchukwu, Jude Postlethwaite and Bryn Ward following their return from Ireland camp.

Edinburgh and Ulster were originally due to meet at Hive Stadium on 3 October but the game was postponed because of Storm Amy.

Ulster are sixth in the URC table, nine points off leaders Glasgow, while Edinburgh are 12th.

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Ulster forward David McCann and back Jake Flannery have both signed new deals with the province.

McCann had signed a new two-year contract which ties him down to the province until 2028 while Flannery has penned a one-year extension until 2027.

Back row McCann has featured in every United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup game for Richie Murphy's side this season, starting 13 of their 15 fixtures.

Ulster's 2023-24 player of the year, the 25-year-old also featured for Ireland A in the emphatic win over Spain in November but is yet to make his debut for the senior international side.

"I am pleased to be continuing at Ulster, the team has shown this season the journey we are on and I feel proud to be a part of that," said the former Ireland under-20 captain, who made his Ulster debut in 2020.

"I want to push myself to play at the highest level, be successful doing this and Ulster is a great place to achieve those goals."

Versatile Flannery, who can operate at fly-half, centre and full-back, joined Ulster from Munster in 2022 and has made over 30 appearances for the province.

'I'm happy to be signing on for another season with Ulster. I feel I am progressing and enjoying a run of fitness after a challenging season last year," he said.

"Our team is playing with more confidence, and the attack has been really clicking, which is fun to be a part of. We are a close group and I'm very motivated to play my part in chasing success in the future.''

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Bundee Aki has returned to the Ireland squad for Friday's Six Nations game against Wales in Dublin (20:10 GMT), while Leinster pair Jimmy O'Brien and Robbie Henshaw are also back in contention.

Aki was handed a four-match ban in January for "verbal abuse and disrespect" towards match officials in Connacht's United Rugby Championship (URC) loss to Leinster in January.

That kept the 35-year-old out of his province's URC game against Leinster and Ireland's first three games in the Six Nations, but is now back with the squad.

O'Brien has also linked up with the squad and Henshaw is expected to return early this week after they both played the full 80 minutes in Leinster's 8-7 URC defeat by Cardiff on Friday.

Both were left out of Andy Farrell's initial 37-man squad for the Six Nations because of injury, but their return will bolster Ireland's options with James Lowe ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a groin injury.

Fly-half Harry Byrne suffered a concussion in Leinster's defeat on Friday and is out, while Cormac Izuchukwu continues his graduated return to play protocols and will join the squad alongside the other nine players who have also returned to camp.

Farrell will name his team on Wednesday afternoon.